FFX Blitzball

"Pass, tackle, and dribble your way to blitzball supremacy! The Zanarkand Abes's star player faces off against a victory-hungry newcomer in a series of breathtaking matches. ★Use special ability cards to clinch the win!★"

- In-game description

FFX Blitzball was a Ranked "battle tower" event available in August 2018, featuring the competitive actions of Blitzball from Final Fantasy X mapped to MOBIUS Final Fantasy's card battle system.

Event Details

 * Event duration: August 23 - September 1, 2018
 * Event type: progressive Tower Battle

How to Participate

 * Select "FFX: Blitzball" from the world map -- a red arm off of the FFX Prologue region, attached to Chapter 1, Blank Slate.
 * This event is only accessible after a player clears the Runic Temple in Chapter 1

Story
Tidus is on the beach, and still seems glum... until a blitzball bumps against his leg. Wol is challenging him to his own game! That certainly perks him right up.

Tidus gives a basic explanation of the rules, which Wol translates in typical style: stronger player wins. Don't be so sure about that, says Tidus! To even things out, Echo decides to give Tidus a hand by conjuring extra fiends for Wol to fight. Game on!

Wol is a quick study, and is able to make a goal against Tidus fairly swiftly, so Tidus steps up the effort. While they're at it, Tidus reflects on his father, Jecht: a man with a natural talent for the game. Jecht never had to push himself. He just sailed through the game and everyone loved him, much to Tidus' annoyance. It gave Tidus all the motivation he needed in his push to out-do his old man.

After a few more goals, neither one is holding back. It's an exhilarating contest. Both of them put their all into it -- not in a bitter rivalry, but with a full enjoyment of the fun of competition. And in the end, Wol emerges victorious.

Tidus notes that he's had a decent amount of regret in his life, which was its own motivation, but he never let it rule him. Rather, it helped define him. He could stand to let that out a bit more, but he's completely unapologetic about who he is and what keeps him going. Nobody can belittle that.

Gameplay
When players first arrive in the region, they are automatically gifted three special play cards: Play later nets a fourth, more powerful card: Players are expected to make use of these cards during the event. Playing with other, more normal Ability Cards can be done, but the Flans have such a high break defense that it's almost always easier to use the blitzball cards instead.
 * Pass: Blitzball (Card)
 * Dribble: Blitzball (Card)
 * Tackle: Blitzball (Card)
 * Jecht Shot 2: Blitzball (Card) -- reward after the fourth goal run.

There is also a super-strong ailment in effect on players throughout their time in this region, limiting the player's actions to 4 per turn regardless of Abilities or Boons. This is true of the enemies, too, so attacks have a more pronounced effect.

Tidus and the flans have a weakness to one particular action: Pass, Dribble, or Tackle. If you hit them with that weakness attack, the enemy will be hit with vastly more damage. (Non-weaknesses will do normal breaks and damage.) You'll need to work out which attack to use on which enemies to get through this to the end. Be aware, though, that flans will leave you with an extra ailment if you kill them in this manner.

Event Map
"The star of the Zanarkand Abes, Tidus, is looking for a new blitzball challenger! When you got the ball, you gotta score!"

- World Map description

The path is a set of five runs to the opposite goal, each with five areas. As you go, the task gets harder. Like most Ranked Events, there is only one allowed route, and previous areas close once you've cleared each one.
 * The first run is a simple contest, meant for training.
 * The second run has Tidus changing his ability weakness on each turn.
 * The third run offers Tidus a "guard" flan. Your first weakness attack on Tidus makes the guard appear. While the guard does not attack you, it will give Tidus extra moves each turn until it's dead. (If you're working your own ability set, the guard will never appear, since you're not hitting Tidus with a Blitzball attack.)
 * The fourth run increases the number of Flans up front, and gives Tidus two guards.
 * The fifth run brings in outside help, and does away with the guards... and Tidus' ability weakness. You'll need to hit him with your newly-acquired Jecht Shot 2: Blitzball (Card), or your own set of powerful non-blitzball abilities.

After completing the five goals, you enter the "Phantasmic Coil" areas. This is a set of 5 areas that repeat in an infinite loop, also with an increasing difficulty with each area finished. On these levels, there is no fifth Rental Card allowed, and if you lose, you cannot use s to continue. A Prize of x3 is handed out for each loop of 5 completed.

There are 37 total areas, with only 1 treasure chest at the end of the Phantasmic Loop. Other prizes are considered Story Completion rewards.

Areas
All areas have these effects in play at all times:
 * - limits movement to 4 actions per turn
 * - makes Pass, Dribble and Tackle the major damage aspects.

Fiends
The main team
 * Tidus
 * Flans

The pinch hitters (Goal run 5)
 * Hell Claw
 * Treant
 * Mantis
 * Mighty Golem
 * Red Dragon
 * Mindflayer
 * Killer Mantis
 * Idol Head

Phantasmic Loop:
 * Storm Dragon
 * Ochu and Microchus
 * Enlil
 * Dullahan
 * Cyclops
 * Demon Wall
 * Shadow Dragon
 * Blizzard Dragon
 * Bone Dragon

Reference

 * Mobius Final Fantasy News Page Announcement
 * Reddit Blitzball megathread

Music includes: